While Dungowan were never behind after scoring first, the game was locked up at 10-all for most of the second half, with less than a try separating the two sides all the way to the 70-minute mark with the game going end to end from the opening whistle.

The Magpies might have let the Cowboys off the hook a few times early, with plenty of dropped ball and a few kicks over the dead ball line letting the pressure off on their line, although the Cowboys gave them a few chances back in a typically scrappy opening-round match.

The Magpies looked to have the upper hand in the first five minutes, attacking the Cowboys’ line until Matt Wilson took one of three Cowboy intercepts and dashed downfield.

It was then the Cowboys’ turn to pressure their line, with scrambling defence and a dropped ball letting them down before hooker Shaun Ferguson re-gathered a chip at the 15-minute mark and offloaded for Brock Morgan to stroll over untouched for first points of the season.

Again Creek let the Cowboys off the hook with one try called back for a forward pass, before Brendan Hunt sailed a kick that was just out of reach of his screaming winger Nathaniel Slater in the corner, and another attacking dropped ball.

The Cowboys didn’t make the same mistake, new skipper Clint Ridley going over on the right edge to make it 10-nil.

The Magpies finally hit back however, Cody Tickle making a break before Zac Darcy reached out one- handed to slam the ball over the line on the bell.

The second half was much the same, played at either end, although neither side could break the other’s scrambling defence until Magpies stalwart Stewie Porter showed he still has the footwork and pace, breaking downfield before offloading to Darcy for his second to lock the game up at 10 all.

Porter’s injection into the Magpies’ halves straightened their attack up and had them on the front foot, although loose ball was still hurting them as both sides got into an arm wrestle in the middle.

Wilson and Ridley again combined to break the deadlock, a flat ball hitting Ridley on the chest to cross untouched to make it 16-10 to Dungowan with ten to go.

Three minutes later Zander Smith latched onto an intercept to cross under the sticks, before the winger took an inside ball of Morgan shortly after to cross with only seconds left on the clock to wrap the game up 28-10.

Magpies coach Lindsey Bowne said  it was a disappointing way to start the season but nothing to be concerned about this early in the year.

“We were very poor in a lot of areas and weren’t committing ourselves in defence,” Bowne said.

“We just weren’t out there and Dungowan played good football.” 

“It is only early so now we just focus on Uralla next week.” 

The Tigers are one of the most improved in the division this season, proving that with a decisive 32-12 win at Wee Waa on Saturday while Boggabri also proved that they will once again be contenders, welcoming Bundarra to the Group with a 70-6 point thrashing at home to kick off their centenary year.